TOMORROW'S FA Trophy second-round tie against Matlock is as big for Barrow as facing Manchester United in the FA Cup.

Manager Paul Cox is seeking a huge response from his players on the back of three successive defeats to Gateshead, Rochdale and Southport (3pm kick-off).

Dale ended the Bluebirds' FA Cup adventure at Holker Street last weekend, while victories for Gateshead and Southport have put a dent in their National League play-off hopes.

Now Cox and his side welcome Evo-Stick Northern Premier League outfit Matlock Town to Furness knowing a loss would see another potential avenue for success this season cut off.

As such, the AFC boss is after an immediate reaction from his players in a game which takes on an even greater level of importance given what has gone before.

“It's huge,” said Cox, whose side were 26 games unbeaten before falling to that 4-1 thrashing against the Heed on New Year's Eve. “It could be Manchester United away in the FA Cup, it could be a friendly, but as a player, as a manager, as a coach, as a human-being, if you have a sense of pride about winning, and not losing, then that game can't come quick enough.

“You can come out with all the adages about Tuesday's result might bring us back down to earth – I'm not buying into that. I don't want to make excuses, I don't want to beat around the bush, we created a winning mentality here – that's not me mouthing off, that fact from the number of games we won over the year – and I don't want that to disappear.

“I will do what I need to do to kickstart that energy, that mindset, that forward-thinking that has got us to where we are at this halfway stage of the season.

“It's the biggest game of the season for me. I've said that to the boys.”

Cox will have a full squad to pick from tomorrow, with loan signings Jon Flatt and Dan Rowe both allowed to play in the competition by parent clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.

Andy Haworth, Ross Hannah and Lindon Meikle all came off the bench in the midweek 1-0 defeat to Southport and will be hoping to play bigger roles – Hannah and Haworth both having started in the last round when AFC came through a replay against Harrogate Town 4-2 after extra-time.

Hannah scored on that occasion and will be up against a club for whom he had a formidable strike record during his time there, scoring 52 goals in the 2010/11 season – a Matlock Town record for a single campaign.